Ardvertan Melkarn
Lord Ardvertan Melkarn III, Esq, M.D., Ph.D, (b. October 7, 588 P.C.) is a Knight of the Scarlet Crusade, and Scarlet Envoy to the Silver Hand Chapter. He is known for being both a Doctor, Barrister, and most recently a licensed Surgeon from the University of Dalaran's Medical Center. He currently holds residence in Stormwind City, where he is employed as a Barrister for the Magistracy, and served as Bisrad Mason's Esquire most recently. He also owns an abundance of land in Lordaeron, and inherited land in Westfall, Duskwood, Wetlands and Redridge Mountains from his now deceased father and brothers. =Appearance= ---- Standing erect with good posture at roughly 6'3", Ardvertan isn't someone easily overlooked in a crowd, being taller than most Stormwind-born Humans. Like most Nobles of his age, Ardvertan doesn't look to weigh more than 225 pounds. The man isn't in pristine physical condition, but he most certainly looks adequate for his age. His skin adorns wrinkles in various places around his body, like the corner of his eyes and smile-lines on the corner of his lips, though this isn't usually seen as he sports a rather light red and well kept beard that runs up the sides of his face, covers his chin and connects to his mustache. His eyebrows are the same color as his facial hair, but unlike most men of his time, Ardvertan is known to get them waxed to clean them up and erase the bushy look they would show if left unkept for a few weeks. Under his brows are two brilliant emerald green, humanoid eyes. He resembles his grandfather's features more than he does his own father, but had darker hair during his youth. Though, he did get his average sized, yet slightly more pointy nose from his mother. Lightforge Armor Very rare, and very expensive. Two words that are fit to perfectly describe Ardvertan's ornate plate set that was kept in nearly mint condition and worn exclusively during ceremonies or private events. The gold and silver plate appears, nearly at all times, to be polished to a point of where someone could see a dull reflection of themselves on certain parts of the suit, and studded with various diamond and square-cut gems around the chest-plate, shoulder-guards and crown pieces, and draping down to an inch above both of his heels rests the brim of his long, silky crimson-cloak, holding minor frays on the underside due to be occasionally dragged over steps when he ascends or descends them. The jewel of the man's suit is the crown itself. Adorned with various gems cut to specific shapes and lengh are stubbed around the entire circular-dome and crown region of the helmet, backed with gold-plating atop the steel that made up the helmet. From the middle forehead down is a completely solid nose-guard piece for additional protection when riding on horseback in the event of him being dismounted. When the crown is worn, his hair is combed backwards to hide his bangs so he may see without incident. Cullsgath and Aerowman, the Sword and Mace of House Melkarn '' Cullsgath, otherwise known as," Sword of Hope," to those in House Melkarn, is an extremely old short-sword forged by Ardvertan's ancestors. The blade itself is estimated to be no younger than three hundred and fifty years old, and yet, surprisingly, it has kept its shine throughout the years of use. It was mostly forged out of silver and truesilver, however, some copper was used in the hilt section to add a weight-balance to the blade, despite the fact it wasn't used for anything else but ceremony. The blade currently accompanies Aerowman as they are crossed one another and placed before a shield holding the House Melkarn Crest above the mantle in the living room within the Melkarn Estate. ''' '' '' Aerowman'', or more commonly known as," Mace of Sacrifice," to those in House Melkarn, is a truesilver and iron mace which dates around the time as Cullsgath, being forged, according to House-legend, in Ironforge Mountain. On the left side of the mace is the apparent blood-splotch left behind by one of Ardvertan's forefathers. According to House legend, he was slain while attempting to rescue innocent people from a gang of thugs, thought to be the forefathers of those in the Steelmane Gang. The mace currently accompanies Cullsgath as they are crossed one another and placed before a shield holding the House Melkarn Crest above the mantle in the living room within the Melkarn Estate. =Origins of the Melkarn House and the Triplets Birth= ---- House Melkarn had originally inhabited the Arathi Highlands centuries before the time of Ardvertan's conception, but due to a food shortage, they ventured north-west along the Eastern Kingdom's coastline in hopes to find something to sustain the nomadic lifestyle they had lived for as long as they know. They eventually settled down in what is now known as Western Lordaeron, right on the coastline nearest to where Brill was constructed centuries later. The tribe grew into tribes, then village to villages and finally city to kingdom. House Melkarn was created when Sir Aldreaus Everalus was given his first weapon as a Paladin, which he named," Melkarn," and later adopted it as his surname, presumably because the man believed the weapon to be his world. Sir Aldreaus eventually found a woman, settled down and had a family. Fast forward several generations, and Lady Sarah Norton lay in her bed in the House Melkarn Estate in Eastern Lordaeron, in pain from labor. The hopes of twins were quickly shot down when legs appeared out from the birth canal shortly after Ardvertan's second younger brother had popped out. Naturally excited, and shocked, the Melkarn couple sheltered their triplet sons in the Estate until they were at the age where they could read and write freely, and without issue, to preserve their innocents. Naturally, as parents normally do, Lord Andruan and Lady Sarah wanted the absolute-best education for their children, and with the gold to spend, which they had alot of, they sent their children off to the Cathedral of Holy Light in Stratholme, where Knights and Priests alike had adopted the boys to train them in the paths of Holy Light while they were educated. Squirehood and the Introduction into the Scarlet Crusade In the beginning as a Squire, it was hard for Ardvertan to adapt to life away from home. He had lived there all of his life, and was hardly allowed to run around outside to explore, as his parents (ironically) feared corruption, and believed their children's minds to be unstable. Not only did the boy endure long hours of physical labor and exorcise to strengthen him, but he also rested upon piles and piles of homework from his instructors, leaving him with very little free time, and when he had the oppertunity to relax, it was taken away from him with the requirement by the Cathedral to write to his parents, a usually five-page requirement as a sign of respect and proof of intellect. He grew into his adolescent years a bitter, self-isolated teen, whom often found himself on the receiving end of a whip for disrespecting the Knight which was charged with guiding him. It wasn't until Ardvertan, and his brothers, were in their early to mid twenties when they finished their education courses and receieved introductions into Knighthood. Ecstatic, the three brothers returned home to their beloved parents with haste on horseback the very same night. Upon their arrival, they were awestruck with the renovations Lord Andruan had done to the centuries old Melkarn Estate: Decorations of the Scarlet Flame was seemingly stamped on anything that could've been stamped in the home, and anything that wasn't white, gold or red, was either removed or replaced with something that was. The Estate had turned into a sort of fortress, housing dozens of new recruits to this " Scarlet " Organization. In the triplet's absence, Lord Andruan stumbled across a rumor that the dead were rising from the graves in the west, and without much second thought, he decided it would be best to join a local organization whom had the wish to rid Azeroth of these undead horrors, opening up his grand Estate as a fortress to house and train the ' brothers ' of the Crusade. It didn't take long until Lord Andruan was fitting his children with crimson and gold plate, and truesilver weapons so that they may provide aid for the Scarlet's cause. The first few weeks were a mixture of training and routine patrols around graveyards and the countryside in hopes of spotting these " approaching " undead, or a crime of any sort. It didn't take very long before the bell was sounded and the arms were readied. A small farming community just north of Scholomance had been apparently sacked by a horde of Undead, and Ardvertan's task was to search for survivors. He, his two brothers and a few other men rode off, and in a few days, Ardvertan, with three other lucky Crusaders, crawled back to the Estate, bruised, bloody and unstable emotionally. It all happened so quick, one moment Ardvertan was with his brothers, the next, one was laying on the floor with his throat ripped out, and the other with a hole in his chest. Ardvertan had to be sedated and restrained to his bed in his room for several weeks after the scrimmage. Diplomatic Duties in Stormwind City As time passed, Ardvertan's physical wounds healed, but he remained torn emotionally, often reliving the experience of losing his brothers and friends at the claws of the rampaging undead. He stayed within the Monistary or Estate's walls, and spent the majority of his day studying, praying, sparring with other Knights or sleeping. For the most part, he favored to be alone, and often isolated himself from everybody so he could go and do his own thing comfortably. As time passed, corruption leaked into the Crusade, and it was fractured, bent and tainted. As a last hope at a chance of survival, one of the higher-ups in the Crusade had sent Ardvertan and three others on a march towards Stormwind in hopes to gain the King's favor so that he might send troops to help fight off the undead and corruption. By the time Ardvertan and the others arrived in Stormwind, the Crusade had fallen as Tyr's Hand was raided by Arthas and his Scourge-Army, leaving them with no diplomatic ties as enemies in a hostile city. They remained in the Scarlet Embassy in the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City for nearly a month after the total collapse of the Crusade, their pleads for assistance falling to a deaf ear. Imprisonment In June of 619 P.C., The Stormwind Guard surrounded the entrance to the Scarlet Embassy in the Cathedral of Holy Light, where General Adroby demanded the immediate surrender of all Scarlet forces and those affiliated with the Crusade, or be faced with brutal physical violence shall there be resistance. Abiding to law, Ardvertan and one other left without incident and surrendered over to Adroby without hesitation, while the last two hunkered down and fought at hopes of escaping the city to escape prosecution. Unfortunately, they were apprehended and the four were taken down to the Stockades and slamed into a single cell, where they remained for several weeks until their trial date arrived. Two of the Crusaders, those whom attacked and attempted to flee, were given death sentences and were executed by hanging and firing-squad. The second man, and Ardvertan, were given life imprisonment, and hauled back off to the Stockades. Luckily, due to some of Ardvertan's noble connections, he was given a isolated, and very clean cell to live in, with some personal items from his Estate, which varied from a wardrobe to a bed, sink and toilet, table, chairs, bookshelves, paintings and rugs. Ardvertan couldn't do much in his cell other than read and write, so he did just that. Every day and night, he wrote about anything he could think of, and read up on anything the Stockade Guards would let through to him on paperback. He was a very quiet and cooperative prisoner, and to his luck, after four years of his life term sentence, he was released on parole after a letter from Adroby, a steep fine of gold and recommendation letters from the Stockade Guards due to good behavior were sent to the Magistrate. Release from Prison and Reformed Views Ardvertan gathered what items he had and moved back into the vacant Scarlet Embassy, where he often is found today, normally keeping to himself as he writes or reads a tome about the Scarlet Crusade. His political views didn't change much, as he respected the Monarchy prior, though he has been known to occasionally speak out against the King, and is an activist in speaking out against the Queen Claimant of Lordaeron. He believes the people need a ruler, but one from the same direct bloodline to do so, or one strong enough to conqueror the previous. He is an original Scarlet Crusader, and is saved from corruption. He loves all mortal races of the Grand Alliance, but is known for speaking out against Death Knights, Warlocks, Shadow-Magic users and Necromancers. Ardvertan '''does have a record within the Stormwind Military, rising to the rank of Sergeant in the Elwynn Brigade during campaigns dating around Lich-King era where he served as a combat medic and reserve footman. He enlisted to show his respects to the Grand Alliance after being released form imprisonment. The exact amount of time he spent in the Elwynn Brigade isn't quite known, his records possibly getting lost or misfiled when he was retired from the service. It is estimated anywhere from eight months to a little under two years, and between the time he often was moved from the Elwynn Brigade to the Kul Tiras Marine Corps (KTMC) to help in the medical field due to their shortage. His rank remains the same throughout the brief transfer period. =Re-Imprisonment= ---- In the late evening of August 23rd, 32 L.C., Ardvertan was brought to a body of a man whom had recently died on a bench within the Cathedral of Holy Light. Ardvertan, already suffering from a mental breakdown caused from a mix of depression, years of being isolated and the PTSD he had suffered while watching his brothers die, decided it was in best interest to preform a medical autopsy on the body while it lay on the bench, as discovered, saying he wishes not to disturb the scene shall it be discovered the man was a result from a homicide. Using a young Priest of the Clergy of the Holy Light as his guardian to watch over his back while he operated, Ardvertan managed to cut the man open completely, and harvest the internal organs and blood for study, all while acting paranoid, constantly looking over his shoulder and asking the Priest if he saw a,' Him,' approaching Ardvertan's blindside. Eventually, a crown was drawn in protest of the grotty scene, which brough the presence of Marshal Adroby of the Stormwind Guard. A Paladin of the Silver Hand ignored all orders to stand back, and placed his hand to Ardvertan's shoulder in hopes to forcibly remove him from the scene. Things became violent when Ardvertan attempted to stab the man with the scalpel he was using to conduct the autopsy, and before things can escalate, Adroby injected Ardvertan with a medical tranqulizer, knocking him unconscious within a matter of seconds. However, before he fully lost consciousness, Ardvertan impaled his own lower abdomen with the scalpel, causing a massive panic which took several moments to quell. Ardvertan was quickly rushed to the Scarlet Embassy, where the scalpel was removed and he was bandaged up within a matter of a moments. After discussing with several Silver Hand and Clergy members, Marshal Adroby restrained Ardvertan, and they waited for him to awake. Once he did, he was informed of the situation, cleaned up and escorted to the cadaver of the man he was working on prior to officially distinguish a cause of death, which was rendered to be of natural causes due to lung cancer from the man's forty plus years of constant smoking. After signing a cirtificate, Ardvertan was escorted to the Stormwind Stockades for a second time in no more than two years, where he was shackled to a wall and placed on a cot in the Psyche Ward. Unfortunately, in the early evening of August 24th, 32 L.C, while granted permission to take a walk to help relieve stress, a group from the criminal orginization," The Marked," ambushed the Guard, and kidnapped Ardvertan in a series of seconds. His location is unknown, but he is considered to be highly dangerous and it is advised people avoid him at all costs and direct the local authority to his whereabouts. It was also discovered that he had kidnapped a member of the Clergy, and was holding him hostage somewhere outside of Stormwind. Fortunately, about eight hours after his escape, Ardvertan was found in Northshire Abby, talking with Magistrate Dawngale. After several minutes of stalling from Magistrate Dawngale, it was soon realized that Ardvertan was being set up, and after brief negotiations, Ardvertan revealed the location of the captive Priest, where he was returned to the Cathedral without incident or injury. Finally, after everything that happened in the evening was sorted out, the Stormwind Guard rushed in, and after a long twenty minute stand off, also with a new discovery that Ardvertan had taken a Pandaren Cub's life months before, he was sedated by two seperate dart guns and transported to a solitary cell in the Psyche Ward of the Stormwind Stockades, where he remains until deemed sane by the staff. As of currently is fastened to a straitjacket within a padded cell in the Psyche Ward, kept under heavy sedation and guard as ordered by the Courts. His position as a Barrister of the Courts was placed on hiatus, and the Courts are debating if the position will be allowed to be returned to Ardvertan, if and once he is deemed sane. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Lordaeron Human Category:Scarlet Crusade Category:Lawyers Category:Paladins Category:Doctors Category:Prisoners Category:Wanted